Since Arsenal had crashed out of the FA Cup in the third round and were thus not in action during the weekend's fourth round of fixtures, the media had to wait until Wednesday to meet up with manager Mikel Arteta for the first time since the January transfer window shut close.
Of course, there was ever going to be one main topic of discussion and that was their dealings during the winter window. The Gunners failed to add any player to their senior team last month yet let several players leave the English capital – some on loan, others permanently. The most prominent figure of those outgoings was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Gabonese ace left the Emirates Stadium on deadline day after terminating his contract via mutual agreement before sealing a dream move to Spanish giants Barcelona. He made his debut for the Blaugrana in the 4-2 victory over Atletico Madrid and spoke about his Arsenal exit a few days earlier during his unveiling, touching upon his rift with the manager that led to his exile and inevitable departure.
"I think it was a problem just with him [Arteta]," the striker said on his falling out which led to him being stripped of the captaincy and dropped from the first team back in December.
"He made the decision. I can't say much more. He wasn't happy, I stayed very calm and that's it," the 32-year-old added.
With Arsenal gearing up to take on Wolves in the Premier League on Thursday, Mikel sat in front of the media for the customary pre-match press conference and was thus given the opportunity to address Aubameyang's remarks.
While the Emirates Stadium boss kept things professional and issued a message of gratitude for all Aubameyang has done, including captaining the club to an FA Cup title in his debut campaign as Arsenal boss, the Spaniard flat out denied the player's interpretation of the events. Arteta adamantly argued that he was not the problem in this disciplinary debacle involving their former striker, but was rather the solution.
"I'm extremely grateful for what Auba has done at the club, for his contributions since I got here. The way I see myself in that relationship is the solution, not the problem."
When asked for his thoughts on the striker's comments on the issue during his Barcelona unveiling, Mikel opted for a diplomatic response, saying: "That's his opinion, that's what he said and you have to respect that."
Not every fan has taken a liking to the manager's disciplining, accusing him of placing his ego ahead of the good of the club as the north London giants have axed a number of talented players such as Matteo Guendouzi, Mesut Ozil, and now Aubameyang. While the Gunners tactician admits he is not without fault, he argued that every decision he makes is for the greater good of Arsenal.
"I do a lot of things wrong for sure but the intention is the best. Not for me but for the club and the team," the gaffer added.
More from Arteta on Auba: "I've been the solution, 100%. I can look in the eye of anybody."
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) February 9, 2022
Asked if he had done anything wrong: "I do a lot of things wrong for sure but the intention is the best. Not for me but for the club and the team."
Arteta also confirmed that Alexandre Lacazette will be the captain for the remainder of the season, with the Frenchman being tasked with carrying both the armband and the goalscoring load given the lack of deadly strikers. All eyes will be on the Wolves trip as Arsenal must return to winning ways in the league as they are yet to triumph in 2022, having lost three and drawn twice in five games this year.
